E. g. It allows us/one to make the following conclusions.

Note 2: The infinitive used as an object can be preceded by the introductory object it which is nit rendered into Russian: e. g. He found it utterly impossible to leave the spot.

8. As an attribute:

When used as an attribute the infinitive immediately follows the word it modifies.

The use of the infinitive as an attribute is far more extensive in English than in Russian: in Russian it modifies only abstract nouns(e. g. Ваше желание учиться–– велико.) whereas in English it modifies:

a). Its head-noun (class or abstract):

e. g. Plow deep while others sleep. And you shall have corn tosell and to keep.

b). Noun equivalents (indefinite pronouns):

e. g. A man who listens because he has nothing to say can hardly be a source of inspiration. (Agnes Repplier)

c). Ordinal numerals + the substantivized adjective last:

e. g. He was the last to find that Jane had a special talent

for music.

Jane was the last to understand how dangerous it was.

He was the first to come.

 

d). Pronominal expressions of quantity: much, enough, a lot of, no more, plenty of.

e. g. We have got enough to do in our agency. We don’t look

for the lost animals. We search only people.

e). Pronominal word ‘one’:

e. g. He was the one to know Scarlet better than she (Scarlet)

did herself.

Note 1: The infinitive used as an attribute often has a modal significance–– it expresses an action thought of as obligatory or possible:

e. g. I have got my wife and a little son to look after. (о которых я должен позаботиться)

Note 2: The passive infinitive is seldom used in the attributive function. That is why we say ‘it is a book to read’ and not ‘to be read’.

Exceptions: there is nothing to be done about and nothing to do;

There is something to be seen, to be said and something to see, to say.

Note 3: The attributive infinitive besides naming an action may express a meaning corresponding to the Russian надо, можно, следует.

e. g.

It is the only thing to do. Это единственное, что можно сделать. He is not the man to do it. Он не тот, кто может сделать это.

 

9. As an adverbial modifier of purpose:

e. g. I have done it to please you.

The infinitive as an adverbial modifier of purpose can be introduced by the particles in order, so as (seldom in the informal style)

e. g. Sometimes you retreat in order to advance.

Soams put on his coat so as not to be cold.

Note 1: From the point of view of Barabash it is not usual to place an infinitive of purpose after the imperatives go and come except when we use the infinitive of the verb to see, i. e., we can say:

e. g. Go to see him. Come to see me.

With most other verbs it is necessary to change the infinitive into another imperative, joining the second imperative by ‘and’.

e. g. Go and get him. Come and help us.

 

Note 2: Sometimes the infinitive of purpose is placed at the beginning of the sentence, and is cut from the sentence by a comma.

e. g. To lengthen the life, lessen the meals.

10. As an adverbial modifier of result:

This chiefly occurs after adjectives modified by the adverbs too, enough

Too stands before adjectives and participles–– negative implication;

Enough stands before and after adjectives–– positive implication.

e. g. It’s too cold to keep the windows open.(слишком)

It’s warm enough to bathe. (достаточно)

 

Note 1: The subject is never repeated after a preposition. It would be incorrect to say, e. g. 'the eggs are not good enough to make an omelette with them.’ Instead of it we should say ‘the eggs are not good enough to make an omelette with.’

Note 2: The infinitive as an adverbial modifier of result can be introduced by the following structures such/so … as. The result is often negative in this case.

e. g. He stood in the shadow of the tree so large as to hide him under the branches.

Note 3:Care should be taken not to confuse an infinitive of result with that of purpose:

Purpose: He looked around to see if someone was waiting for him	Result: He looked around to see them coming up.

11. As an adverbial modifier of manner (comparison): in most cases with the additional meaning of purpose. The infinitive is introduced by the conjunctions as if, as though:

e. g. She nervously moved towards his lips as if to stop him.

12. As an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances though it is a controversial question. Barabash T.A. considers this function to be an adverbial modifier of unexpected result:

e. g. I woke up one morning to find myself famous.

Here the infinitive expresses the result of the action expressed by the predicate; it is the so called continuative infinitive (дополнительный). It should be translated as: …Я проснулся… и обнаружил, что я знаменит.

The infinitive of result may be used only to express disappointment:

e. g. He hurried to the house only to find that it was empty.

He picked himself up only to fall again heavily.

 

Note 1: In ME this use is mostly confined to such verbs as to find, to learn, to hear, to see, to be told, etc., as otherwise there may be a confusion between this function and the infinitive to denote purpose:

e. g. She came to the hospital to be told that her husband was better.

As a part of a parenthesis:

It is generally a set-phrase such as:

To tell (speak, say) the truth;

To put it mildly;

Needless to say;

To say nothing of;

To do them justice;

To come back to;

To make matters worse;

So to speak;

Not to speak of;

To cut a long story short;

To say the least of it;

To be more exact;

To be honest;

To begin (start) with and so on.

 

e. g. Her comments are tactless, to say the least of it.

Note 1: A comma usually marks off such set-expressions.